Page 46 of The Ex Next Door
Declan:
You definitely feel and look all grown-up.
Amy:
So do you.
Declan:
Sorry if I got you into trouble. Are you grounded?
Amy:
Nope. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow?
Declan:
You bet, Tinks.
Years ago, Declan had nicknamed her after the Disney fairy because she was so small in comparison to him. It was said tenderly and always with affection and now it woke up a side of Amy she’d almost forgotten. Yes, once upon a time she wasTinks.Not just Amy, orAmes, or Mommy.
Before she was Mommy, she was fun and carefree and loved a boy with her whole heart.
Amy:
You haven’t called me that in a spell.
Declan:
I’m bringing it back.
Amy:
It’s okay with me. Night.
Declan:
Good night. Thank you for the kissing.
Amy didn’t know how to respond to that, so she laid the phone down on her nightstand while she got ready for bed. She ought to be thankinghimfor the kissing. Since they’d last kissed, he’d apparently obtained a graduate degree in the sport.
And yes, she wondered, because she was the curious type, what else had improved with age and experience.
Chapter Fourteen
“Thanks for asking David over for a playdate,” Amy said. “Both kids miss the old neighborhood.”
“We miss y’all so much,” Bianca said. “The neighborhood isn’t the same without you.”
Naomi was visiting with her old next-door neighbor friend, Cathy, and Amy had brought David to play with Matthew.
A funny thing happened. When Amy had driven by their old house today, she hadn’t felt the raw lump of tears lodged in her esophagus. Instead, it seemed as though that house, that street, that was another life. And now, she’d taken with her the very best parts into a new world. She was growing in this new place, stretching and learning. Becoming someone new, or maybe just someone old. Someone she recognized.
The boys were throwing the ball back and forth in the yard, never seeming to tire. It was far better than their being holed up inside on a beautiful day playing video games, but Amy was grateful for the shade and the mist fans Bianca had arranged near their chaise lounge chairs. It was just the thing for a hot summer day. The iced tea was nice, too, because she always put the right amount of sugar in.
And then because she couldn’t stand it any longer, Amy changed the subject.
“Declan kissed me the other night.”
